Out and About in Puerto Vallarta
 Twila Crawford - PVNN
| 
Click image to enlarge | | Katmandu will perform sitar concerts at 8 pm on May 16 at River Cafe in Puerto Vallarta and on May 23 at Cafe des Artistes del Mar in Punta de Mita. Tickets, including dinner, are available from the restaurants. | | |
Katmandu (Don and Rhonda and group) will perform in sitar concerts on the evenings of May 16 at River Cafe in Puerto Vallarta and on May 23 at Cafe des Artistes del Mar, Punta de Mita, both at 8 pm.
Tickets include dinner and are available from the restaurants. Katmandu always sells out to full houses. Reservations can be made at River Cafe at (322) 223-0788 and at Cafe des Artistes at (322) 222-3228.
Katmandu has been recording a new CD with record producer Blaine Selkirk, and some of the new songs will be performed. The CD will be available at a later date.
A new restaurant, Los Chilaquiles, atop a building overlooking the central plaza and the Malecon, has very good, moderately-priced food, along with beautiful views. The traditional Mexican cuisine, described in the menu, includes "ingredients found only in the colorful little towns of the state of Jalisco."
The formal address for the restaurant is Zaragoza 160. The building is next to Starbucks, with the entrance called Plaza Vallarta. Go to the back and take the elevator to the 4th floor. This is the building that previously housed the U.S. consulate. The restaurant is delightful.
International musician Steve York was the center of attention at a birthday party planned by his international musician wife, Lisa York, and musicians and staff at Cuates y Cuetes on the beach. Other musicians and friends also gathered around for good food and cake.
Steve and Lisa's new CD, The Celebrators, is available, certainly at Cuates y Cuetes where they perform with some of this town's other great musicians. For further information, visit TheCelebrators.com.
Many of these musicians played last Friday at one of Cuates y Cuetes' music festivals on the beach. Included in the concert, along with jammin', were Don and Rhonda, Catia Machado and Marcos Milagres, Steve and Lisa York, Beverly and Willow, Paco Barajas, Memo Suarez, Miguel Salazar, Martin Montenegro and Rey David Alejandre, special guest on piano and trombone.
Gourmet cooking instructor Dolores Brittingham celebrated her birthday with a lively and action-packed 70's party around the pool. Included were her neighborhood "grandchildren," along with family from all over. This celebration brought out some well-known writers who sometimes have to be reclusive to get creative work done.
Karen Blomain (Trick of Light) got so down with rhythm that her knees didn't quite understand, and Maureen Power and I had to pull her up, and we then kept movin'. Local humorist and author Gil Gevins showed what he's got dance-wise, teetering on the edge of the pool. Michael Downend, working on a book and two plays, took it all in. Adorable Bob Lamb was there, awaiting publication of his humorous book about growing up in Lone Tree, IN. Schedule him to speak at one of your organizations - he is one funny guy.
Karen, as co-chair of the 2009 Writers' Weekend Workshop February 20-22, tells me broadcast journalist and author Linda Ellerbe is scheduled to be the opening speaker, with the public invited to hear her. One of the presenters at the workshop will be Vallarta's own Gil Gevins. Go to the Puerto Vallarta Writers Group website at pvwg.com for a registration form.
Harmonica talent Tom Colvin has returned from touring again in southeast Asia. He currently is in the U.S. with family.
Quilt artist Sharry Hickey invited some friends in for lunch and viewing her beautiful, colorful quilts and other art. All of this high up overlooking Banderas Bay restored our energy after the usual busy high season. Some of us are encouraging Sharry to have an exhibition of her beautiful quilts next high season. Sharry can be reached at slhdesigns(at)hotmail.com.
The International Altruism Festival will be in the beachfront gardens at the Marriott CasaMagna Resort at 6 pm on Sunday, May 25. Once again, the Marriott and U.S. Consular Agent Kelly Trainor will host the 5th annual festival. It offers an opportunity for everyone to learn about our local charities and how we all can get involved. Proceeds are donated to area charitable organizations.
The event features top restaurants, live entertainment and dancing. More than 1,700 persons attended last year, raising $603,500 pesos. Twenty-four local charities are represented this year. Tickets cost $300 pesos in advance or $400 pesos at the door. Contact local charities or Josefina Naya at the Marriott at (322) 226-0000, ext. 6222.
My goodness, so many stores are closing or moving out in the Basilio Badillo area, even some other store owners are exclaiming, and some worrying about the status of the buildings they are in. Condo creep talk seems to be hither and yon. I keep getting handed petitions about the street sewage. Wouldn't it be nice if during rainy season we weren't ankle-deep or even higher in you know what?
Know you have been there, too, on a goose bump moment. Someone started singing "Wind Beneath My Wings," where I was in attendance... one of the songs at my sister's memorial, who died in her 40's, several years ago. Kind of rearranges the day.
It looks like a desert off of our terrace. With the dryness, we have a large tree with leaves off, with pink flowers on it, and vines on the tree with yellow and blue flowers. Beautiful in its own way.
 An award-winning journalist, Twila Crawford lives in Puerto Vallarta, where, in addition to contributing articles to BanderasNews, the Vallarta Tribune and other local publications, she writes Out and About in Puerto Vallarta, an informative column that offers inside information about who, what, why, where and when it's happening around Banderas Bay.
Click HERE to read more articles by Twila Crawford. |
Vallarta Weddings
Vallarta Living | May 2008 
Tell a Friend
Site Map
Print this Page
Email Us